If You Were Here
by Naoko Asakura
Summary: It would have been a typical day for Ranma and Akane if not for another one of those strange potions imported to the Neko Hanten. What is Ranma going to do with Akane? Chapter two completely revised with new material!
1. The Big Problem: ShougouRaikaku!

If You Were Here

By Naoko Asakura

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma… DON'T HIT ME! winces

Author's Note: Hello! Its very nice to be writing again! I've had some problems with my computer, so I can't really update my fics. My main computer is dead, I fear. All of my stories (including the third chapter of Kiss The Cook), were on that computer, and now they're all gone! Uwaaaaaaah!!! ;; I'm really sorry about this whole thing, I'll try to rewrite it as soon as possible.

I've thought this for a really long time, and I don't think any of you will really care, but here we go. Its kind of a pet peeve of mine when people put recent songs in Ranma fan fictions. I guess its just because the entire show is so eighties and early nineties. I don't really bother with stories that are song fics just for that reason. It kind of makes me lose the feel for the time frame that Ranma is in. I'm taking note of this because of my title. "If You Were Here" is a song by the Thompson Twins, and the song is played at the end of one of my favorite eighties teen movies, "Sixteen Candles". John Hughes rocks my socks!!!

Hope you enjoy this! It was supposed to be a one-shot, but after mucho consideration, I've decided that this will be a three parter! Love to all of you who read, and even more love to those of you who review!

* * *

"Akane-chaaaaaaaaaan!!!"

"YEAAAAGH!"

Summertime in Nermia had always been a bit stressful for the citizens of the town. The hot, humid weather was a surefire way to put even the most cheerful into an at _least_ irritated mood. Those who have short fuses were worse off though…

"GET… OFF!!!!!"

Akane Tendo screamed bloody murder when the old master Happosai lunged at her in an attempt to grope. The ambush had been on the way to summer school, and had it not been for Ranma jumping in the way, Akane would have had a bad start to the day. Before Happosai realized that he had been feeling up Ranma, he'd been punted into next Tuesday. As they continued on down the side of the canal, Ranma shuddered.

"There's no way I'm letting him lay a finger on me ever again." He muttered under his breath, his grip tightening on his satchel. Akane frowned at him.

"It couldn't have been that bad. At least you weren't a-" She sidestepped quickly as they passed the old woman's house. Ranma, now a girl, groaned in frustration. "…Girl?" Akane finished lamely, earning a stone cold glare from her fiancé. She laughed nervously, but drew from her own satchel a thermos. She handed it to Ranma, who promptly dumped the contents over her head.

"Thanks." Ranma said, shaking out his black mop of hair. Akane yelped as water droplets sprayed in her direction.

"Stop it!" She cried, glaring down at her wet school uniform. "You're like a dog or something." She complained, making Ranma look at her with a quirked eyebrow. Suddenly, a picture of an Canine-Ranma popped into her brain, and she stifled a giggle.

'Actually…' Her mind spoke to her, 'I wouldn't mind having a pet Ranma-Dog.' Akane's eyes widened and a splash of red covered her cheeks. Ranma smirked at her flustered expression and chuckled.

"Thinking about me?" He joked, nudging her with his elbow. Akane's temper flared up, making the hairs on the back of Ranma's neck stand on end. He was slowly backing away when a another thought popped into Akane's head.

'You can get him back in a different way this time… Come on! Say it!'

"Actually," Akane said, forcing her temper down and smiling at the pigtailed boy cheekily, "I was thinking of how cute you'd be as a dog." She said, making Ranma stop in his tracks. He openly gawked at her as she walked past him, his brow creased in obvious abashment. His mouth twitched as if he were trying to fire back a retort… Or to at least say _something_. After a brief moment of awe, Ranma realized that Akane was about to turn a corner.

"W-Wait a minute!" He exclaimed, dashing after her with speed that only he possessed. He screeched to a halt in front of her, his hands planted on his hip as he scrutinized her. Uncomfortable under his blue-eyed gaze, Akane's face burned brightly once more.

"W-What?!" Akane said, feeling her internal alarms were going off one by one. She was just about to smack Ranma into oblivion when he finally spoke.

"Are you sick or something Akane?" He asked her, quirking an eyebrow at the girl he was betrothed to. She blinked at him as he lifted a hand to her forehead.

"W-We're going to be late!" She exclaimed, reeling backwards and running past Ranma quickly. Ranma frowned and shoved his hands deep in his pockets and cocked his head to the side.

"She's running the wrong way." He muttered to himself thoughtfully as he took off after her. Buildings rushed past as Ranma ran after Akane, and he suddenly marveled at how fast she'd gotten. They turned a corner and right as they were passing the Neko Hanten, Ranma was hit with a cloud of sickeningly sweet smelling dust. He coughed and shook his black mess of hair.

"A-Akane!!!" He coughed, waving the dust away from his face. "Can't you wait up for two seconds?!" He called to her. Much to his surprise, she stopped. A moment of silence passed, where all Ranma could hear was the sounds of the morning rush. A truck drove by, its speakers advertising the takoyaki it was selling. Akane turned around, smiling casually at Ranma.

"Ranma, come here for a moment, will you?" She asked in a pleasant voice. Ranma, unsure of what else he could do, walked until he was standing a foot away from her. He became nervous as she turned around fully, her eyes half-lidded as she advanced. Much to his dismay, she pinned him to the wall. Ranma swallowed hard as she leaned in to say something.

"You've kissed a lot of people… haven't you?" She asked, earning a curt nod from her fiancé. She smiled and pushed herself up on her tip-toes. "Then you won't mind one more." She said, quickly catching his lips with hers. Ranma's eyes widened in shock and he stood there rigid. Just as his eyes were fluttering shut, in the distance, he heard something clattering on the sidewalk. It was the mortified and furious voice that brought him slamming back to reality.

"What you do with Shampoo's Airen?!?!??!?!?!"

The pair broke apart, Akane looking somewhat irritated herself and Ranma in the complete state of terror. Ranma's blood ran cold under Shampoo's narrowing ruby leer, and he was slowly backing away when Cologne pogoed out on her knarled staff.

"Shampoo, what's all the fuss?" The old woman asked her great granddaughter, looking at her flustered son in law and Shampoo's rival. Her eyes narrowed and she sniffed softly at the air. "Shampoo, did you happen to find a broken glass vile on the floor?" She asked, turning to the purple haired girl.

"Yes, Hiba-chan… Why you ask?" Shampoo asked, her mood completely changing as she acknowledged her elder. Cologne sighed and closed her eyes.

"Please tell me you just didn't sweep it into Son-in-law's face." She said, exasperation coming to her voice as she raked a hand through her long silver hair. Shampoo looked fearful for a moment. She looked down at her twiddling thumbs.

"Y-Yes, Hiba-chan. Shampoo swept all mess outside." She murmured. Cologne shook her head and hopped over to Ranma.

"Son-in-law, you're in for some rough times." She said, putting a withered hand on Ranma's shoulder.

* * *

"Have a seat."

Ranma sat down at the chair Cologne had pulled out for him. Shampoo stood off in a corner, Akane standing beside her. They both wore disgruntled expressions on their faces as Cologne stood on the chair opposite Ranma. Between the two was a bowl of ramen.

"Won't you have some ramen?" Cologne offered. Ranma shook his head and declined the food that sat before him for the first time in his life. "I made it myself. Shampoo had nothing to do with it. She's already given you… Enough problems." She said, shooting a glare at her fellow Amazon. Shampoo looked guilty for a moment, but continued silently on her anger trip. Ranma sighed and ran a hand over his forehead.

"So what did you do to me this time, Baa-san?" He asked, his voice surprisingly tired. Cologne frowned and filled herself a bowl of ramen.

"The powder that was in that vile… You inhaled it. This is a big problem for you." She said, eating some of the noodles. "It was a little something I had shipped in from Izumo, actually. It should be easy to find a cure for it, since it's a domestic aphrodisiac. Shougou-Raikaku is a fine, sweet smelling powder that you apply to yourself." Cologne explained.

"Yeah, but Akane didn't get hit with the cloud of dust, I did." Ranma interjected.

"I wasn't finished." Cologne stated sharply. Ranma glared spitefully at the large bowl of ramen. "Akane kissed you." Cologne stated simply, earning a splutter of embarrassment and a hot red flush from Ranma. "I'll take that as a yes." Cologne said in a slightly depressed tone. "At any rate, she kissed you because you called out to her."

"Y-You don't mean-" Ranma paused, his eyebrows creased in worry. He looked back to Akane and Shampoo. "If I say **any** girl's name, they'll be all over me?!" He said, the distress evident in his voice. Cologne laughed shortly and shook her head. Ranma sighed in relief.

"Actually, Akane will be the only one 'all over you'. You see, the Shougou-Raikaku is an aphrodisiac for two people alone. There's the caller: The person who applies the powder to themselves and calls the name of the person the choose to call to," Cologne pointed a wrinkly finger at the designated pig tailed boy. "And then there's the responder: The one who is put under the actual spell. The one put under the spell is utterly infatuated with the caller."

"But I really love Ranma."

Cologne, Ranma and Shampoo stared at Akane, who looked very angry. She narrowed her brown eyes at Cologne. Shampoo was abashed.

"What you say, Kitchen Wrecker?!" She asked harshly. Akane fixated her icy glare on Shampoo, making the purple haired Amazon gulp nervously.

"I said that I **love** Ranma. Do you have any problems with that?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Shampoo glared back, though not as fiercely as Akane was.

"A-Akane, calm down…" Ranma said feebly. At the sound of Ranma's voice, Akane turned to him with a happy smile on her face.

"Alright, Ranma!" She exclaimed cheerfully. Ranma's smile was pained, and he turned quickly around to avoid the feeling of guilt that was settling at the bottom of his stomach. Cologne gave him a sympathetic look after she ate the last of her ramen.

"Unfortunately, I need a little bit of time to research the cure for your and Akane's problem. I'll have your cure by Sunday at least." She said, helping herself to another bowl of ramen. Ranma nearly gagged on his own tongue.

"SUNDAY?!?! BUT TODAY'S MONDAY!!!" He shouted, slamming his palms flat on the table.

"No matter, Son-In-Law. You'll just have to put up with Akane." Cologne said, adding a tinge of sarcasm to certain words. Ranma sighed in exasperation and stood from his chair.

"Thanks Baa-san. I think I'm going to go home now." He muttered, walking out the door. A worried expression graced Akane's features as she ran after Ranma. As she got out to the street, she saw Ranma walking ahead, his head inclined and his hands shoved in his pockets. At that moment in time, a swell of emotion passed through Akane that made her clench her fists at her sides and shout.

"Don't you love me, Ranma?"

Ranma stopped, rooted to the spot. That same old conscious-stricken feeling building in his stomach. Finally, he turned to look at her. For a moment, he would have almost said that he did. Unluckily, there were three very important reasons for him not to voice his feelings.

Reason Number One: The effects of the powder were kicking into gear, and telling her that he loved her would only hurt himself and her.

Reason Number Two: They were standing right in front of the Neko Hanten, meaning that there would be a tremendous confrontation between two out of three of his fiancés. That would definitely **not** be a good thing.

Reason Number Three: His pride, of all things, wouldn't let him say it.

This was quite the dilemma for Ranma. A simple dilemma, but still, a terribly hard dilemma. He could either say nothing and hurt Akane… Or he could say yes and start World War Three. Either way, Ranma would be in deep trouble.

"Ranma…" Akane's voice broke him out of his speeding thoughts. He watched her look to the side, a mournful expression on her face. "Am… Am I not cute?"

Ranma opened his mouth to reply, but all that came out was a faint hissing noise. He clamped his lips shut and balled his fists at his sides.

…This had to be one of the biggest problems he'd come to face.

* * *

Tsuzuku

I've never actually done a cliff hanger before. How'd you guys like it?


	2. Ranma's Psyche And Akane's Heart!

If You Were Here

Chapter Two: Even Bigger Problems! Ranma's Psyche And Akane's Heart!

(New And Improved _Sparkly_ Edition)

By Naoko Asakura

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma ½! That's it!

Author's Notes: Oh my God… So I just happened to be perusing my fan fiction cache, when I rediscovered this little beauty. The first chapter felt like a good start to me, but man! There are so many errors in the second! I don't want to leave it this way, and since I love Ranma ½, I've decided to revise the second chapter… You know, taking certain things out and adding in new stuff, etc. I might even begin a third chapter, if I like where this is going… I'm so flaky though! I've started a new Princess Tutu multi-chapter and stuff too. Wugh, I'm going to be busy. I'm just glad it's summer again!

* * *

"Don't you love me, Ranma?"

The heap of trouble the boy was in seemed to be nothing, compared to the torrent of emotion which this question posed for him. They seemed more fierce an opponent than some of Ranma's strongest rivals. Almost instantly, his body fell back into the same form of defense he used in battle… Aware of almost everything around him.

He just thanked his lucky stars that Cologne was still scolding Shampoo in the back room of the Neko-Hanten.

He stood, his eyebrows creased and his eyes taking in everything as fast as he could. After what time seemed to stretch into hours, it suddenly occurred to him.

'This isn't a battle! What the hell am I thinking!'

He slipped out of his trance-like fighting mindset, and suddenly felt ashamed and embarrassed of his lack of maturity. A hot blush splashed his face like a stain, and he balled his fists at his sides. He was supposed to be a man amongst men, so why couldn't he face his insecurities?

He ticked off the pros and cons of the conflict at hand, mostly for Akane's sake. Telling her he loved her _right now _of all times seemed like it would bear many other problems to the matter… Especially for her.

So he turned, resolved to give her some kind of answer that would possibly end this veiled torture ahead of time. As he looked upon Akane in all her frailty though, he suddenly began to harbor secret and aching hope that one of those convenient interruptions would come along right about now.

"Ranma," Akane spoke. The name that escaped her lips was heavy with unbridled longing. "Am… Am I not cute?" It seemed like a simple enough question, but to her, it meant the world. Under the effects of the power, her brown eyes stung with tears and her hands were fisted at her sides. She couldn't think of anything but the moment. Her whole being was teetering on the edge. All it took was one simple word to push her down to the deepest depression or to hold her back. She prayed that he would save her like so many times before.

"I-I'm not ready for this." Ranma said in the most even of voices he could muster. He almost crumbled under her tear-flecked stare. He couldn't stop himself now. There was no way he could back down from this. "Akane, I-"

It was as if God himself executed a divine intervention.

"COME BACK HERE!"

Ranma and Akane both quickly turned their heads to see a mob of women chasing what looked to be a wrinkled monkey dressed in maroon clothing. It wasn't God, Buddha, Muhammad, or any other higher power who had saved Ranma from his plight… It was Happosai.

"Akane-chan Its so nice to see you again!" Happosai exclaimed jovially as he flipped the blue skirt Akane wore with practiced skill. Akane screamed and pushed it back down, her furiously red aura coming off of her in waves of heat.

"Oji-saaaaaaaaaan…" She ground out, snatching him up with an iron fist and holding him at eye-level. Happosai smiled and looked upon her with an innocent, disgustingly angelic expression on his withered face.

"Yes, Akane-chan?"

"GO…TO…HELL!" The short haired girl screamed, pulling back and punching the old master into the air. He disappeared over the horizon, his exit accented with a distant twinkle.

"Thanks!" The women chorused, all smiling at Akane graciously. Akane smiled back.

"It was nothing! Really!" She said, chuckling bashfully. The mob trounced off over a hill, leaving Akane alone. Much to her surprise, Ranma was no where to be found.

She looked around to see if he had leapt onto something to evade Happosai and the women, but he was no where in sight. Akane frowned worriedly. "He must have gone on ahead." She surmised. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she continued down the road.

Ranma ran a hand through his thick bangs as he leaned against the wall in the conveniently placed alley, and watched soundlessly as Akane walked away from the scene. Guilt on his conscience for just leaving her on her own, checked for any sign of his infatuated fiancé. Free and clear, he leapt upwards and over the rooftops to Furinkan.

"Saotome, why in God's name are you so late today?" Minako-sensei creeched. Ranma feared for his ki as he stepped through the window of his class room. His eyes scanned the class, seeing everyone in there designated seats. Well, _almost _everyone.

"Akane!" Ranma muttered inaudibly, double checking for her absence. The tapping sound of a small, fashionable heel was the tip off that Hinako-sensei was getting more and more impatient with each passing second. She reached for the lemon-yellow clutch on the lectern and began to fish for a five yen piece when Ranma noticed her.

"Family affairs." He offered lamely. He bowed his head and the exploits of his morning passed through his mind. "Sorry, Sensei." He said, sighing softly through his nose. Hinako-sensei huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'll let it slide this time, Saotome… Just go stand out in the hall with your fiancée." She said, turning back to the black board. Ranma's eyes widened and a blush blazed over his cheeks.

"A-Akane!" He stammered. Hinako-sensei quirked an eyebrow at his sudden change of composure.

"Have you got any problems?" She asked. Ranma gulped nervously at the coin she suddenly began flipping in her left hand. He shook his head, unable to argue.

"No, Its just I-"

"Saotome, if you'd rather get your ki drained, I'm always ready. If you want to save your life force for more important things, I suggest you go out in the hall." She waved a hand in the direction of the door. "Off you go!" She exclaimed brightly before Ranma could say anything else. Defeated, he began to ready himself for whatever potential problem might arise when he stepped out. Ranma's classroom watched in confusion as the pigtailed boy exited.

"Poor Ranma-kun… I've never seen him react like that before." Hiroshi said, chewing on his lip. Daisuke frowned and nodded. "Want some?" Hiroshi asked, holding out a box of pocky to his comrade. Daisuke grinned and nodded.

"Hiroshi! Gimme some pocky too! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!"

Hiroshi and Daisuke screamed when Hinako-sensei appeared between their desks, her cuteness at magnitude nine. Hiroshi laughed nervously and handed his teacher three sticks.

"Yaaaay!" She cheered, eating the sticks in rapid succession. She grinned at the pair, residual chocolate adorning her small mouth. "Thanks, guys! Extra credit for the day!" She exclaimed, skipping back up to the podium. She climbed up to her usual perch on the lectern and shuffled some papers. "Anywho… Let's all turn to page thirty seven in our poetry books! Naoko, will you please read the first stanza of "Oh Captain, My Captain"?" She asked. A girl with short brown hair stood, her book held out in front of her.

"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While! heart! heart! O the blee…"

* * *

Ranma stood outside the door, silent and unmoving. He could care less about the ancient drivel being spouted off in the classroom. Moreover, his attentions were turned to the familiar face before him. His heart stuck in his throat when he caught sight of her profile in the sunlight that streamed through the windows opposite of the wall of classrooms.

He gulped, silently thanking the powers that be, as she failed to notice him.

Her hair reflected gold halos in the sun, and the warmth in the hall made her cheeks flush light pink. Her lips were parted only slightly, and he heard her exhale in the silence. It was amazing to him, how one breath could be filled with so much emotion. Her soft, dreamy looking brown eyes stared straight forward out the window.

He sighed, wishing he had a camera. The small noise was instantly regretted.

Those same brown eyes were on him now, confused and concerned and happy at the same time.

"Oh, Ranma!" Akane exclaimed with a quiet warmth, taking a step towards him. Ranma could do nothing but nod. He didn't want to make it seem like there was anything wrong.

"Yeah." He forced out, trying to keep his eyes focused on Akane. The problem which smiled so happily at him almost deluded him into believing that it wasn't such a big deal after all. He tensed when she closed the distance between them, her arms embracing him tightly.

"I'm glad..." She said, her voice muffled as she pressed her nose into his chest. Was she… Smelling him? Ranma tried desperately not to make a sound, for fear of bringing out Kuno or any other suitors. God forbid Nabiki should walk out of her classroom at that moment. Akane tilted her head up, her eyes glazed over as she touched the side of his face with a certain tenderness. Ranma's brow creased slightly and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He suddenly wondered if the old hag was right about there being no side effects on his part.

"Akane" He managed to get out. Any quieter and he would have been mouthing it. Her eye lids fluttered for a moment, and he could make a pretty accurate hypothesis of the coming events. Akane's grip tightened only slightly, but it made a world of difference to him as he felt himself lean forward. He and Akane were about to kiss for the second time that day when they were rudely interrupted by the baritone squawk of a man… The squawk could belong to no one but Tatewaki Kuno.

"Ssssssaotome…" Ripped from the serene world Akane's curse had created by the sudden sound of his own name, he looked up and was almost angry that the stupid wannabe-poet had intervened. He might have turned around and booted the jerk's rear out of sight, but he couldn't move with Akane's arms around him. His gaze shifted back to Akane, who didn't seem to notice the typically sticky situation they had fallen into.

"Akane!" He whispered softly, "Kuno's right he-" He was silenced as his fiancée's lips met his again. Unfortunately for Ranma, his sentence was cut at a point where his mouth was open... His guard was completely down. He nearly squeaked when Akane's tongue brushed his, a whisper of hot fire that reached down even to his toes… She was driving him crazy. Only this time, she knew it.

"SAOTOME RANMA!"

Kuno's voice became a distant insect-like buzz in his ears as Ranma laced slim fingers through his fiancée's dark hair. Where in all of Nermia had she learned to kiss like that!

Only too soon, they broke apart, Ranma's breath was shallow as he looked down at her face. Akane was beaming like a Cheshire cat, completely oblivious to the sudden stab of heartache which overtook the object of her affection. His eyes grew dull, taking her by the shoulders and separating himself from her.

"It's only the powder." He spoke to himself, the doubt inside him flourishing with those stupid words. 'It's not real. It's not real…' The mantra looped in his head over and over. 'She would never act like this. The Akane I know wouldn't have that stupid cocky expression on her face after a kiss like that. No way.'

"Akane, I'm sorry." He whispered to her. Kuno was ranting in the background, but the two didn't seem to notice. "I'll explain everything later. For now, just cut it out." He said. It was almost comforting to him as he watched her fall unconscious in his arms, the aftermath of when he gently pressed into her back. He never imagined that he would be thankful for learning about pressure points from the old geezers.

"You foul sorcerer! You cad! Fiendish gigolo!" Kuno ranted as Ranma walked past. He pushed the door to the class room open and nodded apologetically to Hinako-sensei.

"Chinese curse?" The child teacher asked, earning a shake of the head from her student.

"Not this time. Japanese curse." Ranma said, his tone of voice melancholy. Hinako nodded and turned back to the black board.

"I'll write you up a pass for the day." She said, writing English grammar rules on the board as she spoke. Ranma smiled thankfully and dropped out of the window, Akane in arms.

* * *

The house was empty when Ranma returned to it. He surmised that Kasumi was out at Tofu-Sensei's, and that Akane's and his own father were probably at that sukiyaki joint that they were yelling joyfully about the other day. Nabiki was obviously at school.

"Good," Ranma thought as he jumped off of the outer wall. He landed on the grass soundlessly. He couldn't even fathom what hell would break loose if any of the other residents of the Tendo Dojo caught wind of his and Akane's problem.

He landed on the roof with ease and tucking Akane under his arm like a football, he managed to swing down to her bedroom window. Part of the window had been left open due to heat, and he pushed it open the rest of the way with one of his feet. Akane stirred in his arms, and he began to panic when he hopped off of her writing desk.

"No! No! No!" Ranma's mind screamed, watching her eyelids flutter. As fast as he could, he placed her on her bed, tucking her in and then speeding out into his own room. He leaned against the wall after he slammed the door.

"I can't take much more of this…" He groaned miserably. Why'd Akane have to cause him so much trouble all the time? He nearly died on the spot when he remembered that he'd have to deal with her for the whole week. 'None of this is her fault though!' The reminder filled him with guilt. He groaned for confusion and pain, diving into his futon and burying himself under the blankets.

He couldn't distance himself from her, or he'd hurt her feelings and make their fathers wary. Plus, she could probably track him down as well as Shampoo could in this state, if not better. Like a dog, for lack of better example.

_"Actually, I was thinking of how cute you'd be as a dog!"_

Another wave of confusion hit Ranma as he sat slumped on the floor. She had said that **before** the Shougou-Raikaku. What did she even mean by that? Was it another insult? A compliment?

…Was it really just the powder?

Ranma yawned suddenly, feeling immensely tired. He stared at his hands, outstretched in front of him, his fingers entwined. A good rest would do him good, and sleeping in his clothes was the least of his worries. Oblivious to what events were taking place in the next room, he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

With a gasp of hot and humid air, Akane sat up in her bed. A cold sweat covered her forehead as she looked at her surroundings.

"I'm home." She thought confusedly. She felt a draft on her face and the heel of her shoe rough against her leg. She recounted the events of the day, and felt the stab of heartache.

"He… He pushed me away." She whispered, staring at her sheet-covered lap blankly. A few tears slid down Akane's cheeks gently, falling off of her chin and making feeble gray spots on her white blanket. She was so sure that Ranma had wanted that kiss just as much as she did.

Moments passed before her skin got itchy from the wetness and the air, and she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand roughly. Her mind kept on telling her that there was a mistake somewhere in that action that he made.

_"Akane, I'm sorry."_

Her chest tightened and she held the sheets to her chin when a sob escaped into the eerie quiet of the bedroom. Of course he was sorry. Sorry for ever wasting her time, sorry she was a lousy cook, sorry that she wasn't strong enough to defend herself against his enemies, sorry she wasn't able to prove herself against his other suitors…

…Sorry that she wasn't the one he loved.

Akane's eyes fluttered, more tears falling onto the blankets. 'Why?' She wondered as her mind reeled with crushing disappointment.

Before she knew what she was doing, she had pushed the covers back, and her feet were touching the plush carpet. The initial disoriented feeling she got made her wobble a bit as she stood, and she grabbed the edge of her desk for support. As soon gathered her bearings, she walked to the door and opened it.

'I have to know why.' She thought, her brow knit as the same old determined fire began to take her over. She stepped out into the hall and looked about cautiously. The silence throughout the house still told her that the house was probably empty. There was no sound of the fathers scheming or playing shougi, no sound of Kasumi preparing food in the kitchen. Not even the electric blaring sound of Nabiki's favorite television program.

Akane chewed the corner of her lip. The door to Ranma's room seemed to have paralyzed her as she reached for the handle. She stared deep into the enameled grains of the wood, and began to get her second wind.

"I won't be afraid." She whispered. It was a promise that she fully intended to keep. The door to her fiancé's room seemed to open all by itself.

She saw his large frame tangled in the sheets of the blue futon and couldn't help but smile at the small tuft of black hair that poked out from the top of the bed. The trademark pigtail drooped lifelessly on the white pillow. Tears stung Akane's eyes again, and her heartache was back with a vengeance.

She couldn't bring herself to wake Ranma up with something that was so trivial. He must have been so tired… Her feelings for him were probably at the bottom of his list of things to deal with.

Akane sat beside him, her legs tucked behind her. Her heart skipped when she saw him shift, the top half of his head appearing from underneath the covers. His eyes were closed, she was relieved to observe.

"Why can't you at least pretend that you love me?" She said, her voice inaudible. She felt another stab of heartache as Ranma twitched in his sleep. Her curse infected mind made her reach out her hand to him and push his bangs off of his face.

"Mmmrmrrrrrgh…"

With a heavy sigh, Akane inched closer to him and lay down. "I don't care anymore." She thought as she gazed upon what part of his face she could see. "I'm going to be with you forever, Saotome Ranma. Whether you like it or not."

Akane felt new tears stinging her eyes and exhaled shakily. A small part of her mind wondered what was wrong with her that day. The bigger part of her mind was tired of so much heartbreak. She rolled over onto her other side to avert her eyes from Ranma, and silently cried herself to sleep.


End file.
